National grant awarded for local early-childhood educators

The American Federation of Teachers has awarded a national grant to AFT St. Louis, the St. Louis Public School District and Harris Stowe State University to create professional development programs for early childhood educators.

Each year, more than 2,000 children attend pre-K in St. Louis Public Schools. Through the program, pre-K teachers and paraprofessionals will receive training in early learning so that students have a strong foundation for later learning.

Sheryl Davenport is executive director of early childhood education for St. Louis Public Schools.

"Sharing, expressing your wants and needs, turn taking, self-help skills, those are the areas that we are going to be focusing on," Davenport said. "And helping our teachers understand why areas of play and the social-emotional are so important as foundations for kindergarten readiness."

The Union, the District and the University will design a comprehensive professional development program that will be piloted in the 2012-2013 school year for the district's 184 pre-K teachers and paraprofessionals.

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The proposed spending plan also marks a shift in budgeting philosophy for the district. Money in the past has been distributed to schools based on the number of people that work in the building.

Starting next year, the money would be allocated as a grant to schools based on several factors, including the percentage of special education and low-income students, average daily attendance, and whether the school is a magnet/choice school. Within reason - for example, they'll still have to meet state class size limits - principals will be able to set their own staffing plan.

"The whole challenge for a principal is to have ownership, and have control of the resources," said Adams, a former principal. "If I decide I want to have a larger third grade class - I have a great, dynamic third grade teacher, I'll put that teacher in that classroom," Adams said. "But I may have a smaller fourth grade class because maybe things aren't working as well in my fourth grade group."

The appointed board overseeing the St. Louis Public Schools has directed its superintendent, Kelvin Adams, to conduct his own investigation into reports that some district employees falsified attendance records.